New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph came down hard on the media, saying it has failed to defend democracy, the Constitution and truth.
Justice (retd) Kurian Joseph said one does not find any fearless and truthful version of the facts coming out and the greatest blow to democracy is that the fourth pillar has failed the country.
“Before the conference, we discussed quite a few things but all those things which we discussed, do we read in any media, do we see in any electronic media, except a couple of private media in the digital side,” he said, while speaking at a seminar organized by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) here.
He also made a spirited call for protecting whistle-blowers, whom he termed as the “fifth pillar.”
Justice Kurian Joseph remarks on the role of Media:
“We do not find any fearless, truthful version of the facts coming out. The greatest blow to democracy is that the fourth pillar has failed the country. Forget about the first three pillars. The fourth pillar is the media and they have failed to defend democracy. They have failed to defend the Constitution. They have failed to defend the truth,” Justice Joseph said.
He said whistle-blowers are the only hope.
“Somehow, they are also not able to blow, maybe post COVID lungs have been affected. The way the lungs are crushed in the country today so that nobody will blow the whistle is a very dangerous trend for the country,” he said.
“So, we need to support, we need to stand up, we need to speak out, we need to stay alert and we need to stay with at least those few of the whistle-blowers who are left in the country and who are the only hope as I see it,” Justice Joseph said.
Justice Kurian Joseph’s statements regarding the media have come at a time when the opposition is also continuously raising questions on the mainstream media of the country that the media ignores the public issues and does not ask questions to the government nor fixes any responsibility of the government.
